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Dogs, owners eagerly break in new park in Worthington

New pet play area developed as partnership between suburb, Columbus

Request to buy this photoEric Albrecht | DispatchJohn Price of Worthington has Goldy practice sitting while his other dog, Coldfoot, goes for a romp in the new Godown Park, a Worthington-Columbus partnership. One of the new dog park’s rules is no more than two dogs per owner.

Request to buy this photoEric Albrecht | DispatchCara Shary of Columbus opens the gate to let her dog, Logan Henry Shary, a Portuguese water dog, into Godown Park.

Request to buy this photoEric Albrecht | DispatchWorthington residents Kim Nixon-Bell and D.J. Falcoski converse while his dogs Chloe and A.J. (not pictured) play in the new Godown Park. The dog park was designed to prevent conflicts, with an acre for dogs 25 pounds or lighter, and 4 acres for larger breeds, such as Nixon-Bell’s Airedale.

Request to buy this photoEric Albrecht | DispatchJennifer Thorn of Columbus and her dog, Shady, read all about Godown Park before entering. “Oh, they supply the bags, too. Wonderful. I’ll probably be here every day,” she said.

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The Airedale is 10 times heavier than the Maltese, a handful of white fluff, and the larger dog’s
owner knows better than to allow the two to mingle, lest there be canine carnage.

“Originally, they were bred to put their noses into things and to pull things out,” said Kim
Nixon-Bell, referring to her Airedale, Bea Bingley. “Does that look like a small thing?" she asked,
pointing at Rio, who at 4 1/2 pounds is a mere morsel of a pet.

She was one of several dog owners at central Ohio’s newest dog park, a Columbus-Worthington
partnership that opens on Monday.

Godown Park was designed to prevent conflicts, with an acre for dogs 25 pounds or lighter, and 4
acres for larger breeds. It melds the “best practices” of other dog parks, said Darren Hurley,
director of Worthington Parks and Recreation Department.

The 15 rules seem onerous: no children younger than 9, no food, no toys, no digging, no puppies
(younger than 4 months), no more than two dogs per owner.

Each has a reason; most are for safety.

“I thought it was strange that they can’t have toys,” said Carolyn Fry, whose condominium across
the street prohibits pets. Curious about the commotion from yesterday's preview event, she visited
with her husband, Don. “They can’t play Frisbee or catch? What fun is that for a dog?”